Category Archives: Beerclub

We’ve been cooped up indoors waiting for winter to pass for months now. Cabin Fever has set in and we’re ready to get back outdoors. Unfortunately Mother Nature isn’t cooperating and it’s still cold and snowy outside. This is when we need a special beer to break the monotony and help us make it till spring.

Thankfully, New Glarus Brewing is all too familiar with this feeling and they created Cabin Fever for this very reason. A honey bock, this beer promises to be sweet and delicious and just what we need on a cold February night.

From their website:

Cool days draw us close to the warmth of home fires. This is the season to sip away the chill and embrace quiet evenings with friends and family.

You hold a Wisconsin Style Honey Bock, easy going and more approachable than its traditional dark German cousin. Bock beers have existed in Wisconsin for over 150 years. This pale bock is brewed with an exclusive blend of Wisconsin two row barley that balances seamlessly with our special European hops. Naturally sweet Clover Honey was added in the kettle accenting warm flavor notes on your tongue.

Whether you reminisce the passing summer sun or thrill to squeaky steps through drifting snow one thing is certain about winter in Wisconsin, this too shall pass.

Join the #beerclub as we drink New Glarus Brewing Cabin Fever. Monday February 21st. 8PM Central. Don’t forget, we’re doing the February #beerclubfieldtrip this Saturday at Sugar Maple. Details and RSVP on the twitvite.

Share this:

It’s that time of year again, Bell’s Hopslam is on shelves. This is the third highest rated Double IPA on Beeradvocate.com, and another of the more highly anticipated beer releases of the season.

What makes it so special? It’s a 10% ABV beer with generous amounts of hops that maintains a balanced flavor thanks in part to the addition of honey to the brew.

From the Bell’s Brewery Site:

Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell’s Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell’s repetoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.

Share this:

We’re not out of winter just yet, and there are several winter themed beers that we can sample from. Hinterland Brewing is one of the newer breweries to release their product into the retail market, and they’ve been making a splash with their beers. Last summer #beerclub drank their Cherry Wheat beer and it was generally well received. It’s time to revisit their brews and this time we’re sampling their Winterland porter.

Share this:

Last night we met up at Romans’ Pub for the first #beerclubfieldtrip of 2011, and the fourth field trip overall. We drank great beer, had a good time with old friends, and met some new ones. Romans’ has a wide variety of taps and there was a beer there to meet everyone’s taste. In all we had 12(?) #beerclub members at the bar, and I’m sure everyone had a good time.

This is exactly what #beerclub is all about, and that’s why I’m happy to announce that we’re doing it again (and again, and again). I’m hoping to make the #beerclubfieldtrip a monthly event on the third Saturday of the month. We’ll be going to bars and breweries around the Milwaukee area, but we also have plans to head to the beer bars of Chicago and Madison in the near future.

Mark Your Calendars:

For February’s outing we’re heading over to The Sugar Maple. Meet up with fellow beer lovers and have a brew with us. February 19th, 7:00 PM at the Sugar Maple. RSVP and more information on the event’s twtvite.

I didn’t post about last week’s BOTW. We had Lakefront Brewery Rendezvous. It was delicious. This week we’re drinking one of the classic styles of beer. Pilsner, the first lager beer, and a standard in any beer lovers arsenal. We last attempted a Pilsner this summer when we drank the Lagunitas Pils. That was a very well received beer, and now we’re ready to try another pilsner.

#beerclub also has a history with Victory Brewing. In the summer of 2010 we drank the Victory V12, and it made @Einley’s list of her favorite #beerclub beers. Victory Prima Pils is well known as one of the best examples of pilsner made by an American craft brewery. We will be putting this reputation to the test next Monday as #beerclub tackles Victory Prima Pils.

Victory Prima Pils

Heaps of hops give this pale lager a bracing, herbal bite over layers of soft and smooth malt flavor. This refreshing combination of tastes makes Prima a classy quencher in the tradition of the great pilsners of Europe.

Share this:

I am grateful for every beer that the twitter #beerclub has introduced me to. Even the gross ones (hey! that could be another blog post!). I am partial to an IPA, but I really enjoy tasting all kinds of beer. Here is a list of my favorite beers that we have done so far in the #beerclub- in no particular order. So I’m not numbering them. (And I am sure I am leaving some out).

“ALE ASYLUM is unfiltered and all natural. We use no additives, preservatives, fruit, horse hooves, fish guts, or extracts. Our ingredient list: water, malt, hops, and yeast. This is what we mean when we say our beer is FERMENTED IN SANITY. You know who makes it, you know what it’s made with. You know after having one you’ll want another.”

So, in other words, this brewery in Madison, Wisconsin kicks ass. I am a lover of (almost) all IPAs and this beer is described as a Belgian style IPA. It is a seasonal beer and was perfect for the season we drank it in- Spring. It was fruity, hoppy, delicious.

Admittedly, I don’t remember the exact taste of this beer that well. But I know it tasted really good. This is called a strong ale and I was told that if I enjoyed an IPA, I would enjoy this. And I did. Very much. This beer has a very high alcohol content, 12%, and the alcohol content was cleverly disguised by a great tasting beer. Resulting in me drinking enough of it not to remember exactly how it tasted. I know it had a hoppiness I enjoyed and it came in a really cool corked bottle.

An IPA (go figure) made with 18% rye malt. This gold medal winning beer has the super hoppy flavor that I just cannot get enough of. It was the first time I had tried a rye malt beer and I am glad I did! This brewery also produces another favorite IPA of mine, Racer 5- which was not a beer club pick, but has become a staple in my refrigerator.

Here is a shocker- this one is not an IPA! It is actually a wheat beer, and I have to say, I do not enjoy many wheat beers. But this is a wheat beer that has made a permanent home in my refrigerator. It is not an easy beer to describe, but it is an extremely easy and enjoyable beer to drink, with big flavor. This brewery also makes another favorite of mine that was not a beer club pick, and is also not an IPA- Alpha King is a pale ale and it is awesome.

The holidays are behind us, and we’re into the heart of the winter months. It’s time to drink a seasonal beer that’s not your typical winter beer. Why not a seasonal IPA with an unconventional name. Rogue Brewery offers up Yellow Snow IPA which fits this bill perfectly.

HISTORY

Yellow Snow IPA was originally introduced for the 2000 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Winter is in full effect and 2011 is on the door step. For our first #beerclub of 2011 we need to drink a special beer. This is where Bells Brewery Winter White Ale comes in. A Belgian style white ale, Winter White is not your typical heavy winter beer.

Taking its cues from Belgian-style white ales, Bell’s Winter White Ale offers a lighter yet abundantly flavorful alternative to the traditional heavy winter warmers. Fermented with a Belgian ale yeast, this blend of barley & wheat malts yields a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices. Deliberately brewed to retain a cloudy appearance, Bell’s Winter White Ale is a beer for embracing winter.

To keep on the theme of seasonal beers, this week the #beerclub is drinking Milwaukee’s own Sprecher Brewery Winter Brew. A Bavarian Style Dunkle, Winter Brew is a beer to warm you up during the cold winter months in Wisconsin.

This #beerclub is special because we’re going to be doing it in person. Genevieve and Craig have opened their house up to the beerclub for a nacho dinner and #beerclub in person meeting. This is an event you surely don’t want to miss. Make sure to RSVP and find out more information on the official Twitvite. It’s fitting that we’re drinking the Winter Brew at the scene of this horrendous event. Come out and celebrate the season, drink along with good friends and remember the fallen Winter Brew next Monday.

Sprecher Winter Brew

A flavorful blend of dark roasted and sweet caramel malts defines this smooth and robust lager. The rich, nourishing flavors of a full-bodied Munich bock make this Bavarian-style brew perfect for those long winter nights.

Randy’s Notes: “Winter brew is a Munich style dunkel bock of much repute among those who know us best. It has won the World Beer Cup, Gold and Bronze medals.”

We’re heading into the holiday season and that means it’s time for holiday beers. We’ve also had a few fresh/wet hop beers. This week for #beerclub we’re combining these two and drinking Sierra Nevada Brewing Celebration Ale. This is a “fresh hop” ale

“The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter with Celebration Ale. Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration Ale is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet evening at home.”